I have all these opinions bumping around my head, figured I get them out and hopefully help some people in their choice of books. If you have any questions as to where and how I get these books, please don't hesitate to ask.

Rescuing Hope

Hope Ellis is just your average fourteen girl until she helps her mom by supervising the movers on their cross-town move. When the movers finish, one comes back and rapes her. Struggling with normalcy after and kept silent by his threat Hope doesn’t know what to do. The darkness starts closing in until she finds a way to cope. Marijuana becomes her comfort and makes life a little but easier. That is until she meets a guy on the bus home.

Lured in by his charm and an attempt at normalcy she succumbs to his attention and falls hard. He promises acceptance and love. He lures her outside the comfort of her suburban home and her troubles are just beginning. Her worst nightmares are coming true and her life is altered forever, no longer is she the innocent fourteen year old she was before, now she’s a prostitute and she’s one of millions.

Every two minutes, evil strips innocence from a child and sells her into slavery for sex. Not just in third-world countries but in the United States of America. Before you take your next breath another victim will be taken from their families for profit. The average age is twelve to fourteen. The lifespan: seven years. It’s happening now and it’s happening around you.

Will Hope’s family and friends be able to find her before it’s too late? Will Hope be able to survive the horrors of sex slavery or will it break her? Will Hope’s family give up or will they prevail until they find her? Will the police force be able to track her down despite the fact that he doesn’t go outside or will she be lost forever? She could be someone you know or even you, will you help?
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This book was hard to read, harder than I thought it would be and I knew it would be hard. I thought it would be a book about the facts of sex trafficking but it turned out to be a story of one girl based off the accounts of many. That fact that it was a personalized story made it that much harder. This author definitely left her mark with this book and it’s a mark that won’t ever go away.

One of the best parts of this book unbelievably is the quote at the beginning. It’s so fitting that I believe it needs to be put in here too.

You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.
-William Wilberforce

Now of course there was some fantastically pivotal points in this book and some very good parts to this book but strangely that quote stuck with me the entire book and I think tied the book together perfectly. That my sound stupid to some of you but that quote touched me deeply and made me determined to not look the other way and ignore the cries of the suffering.

This story was pretty graphic. It had some curse words some drug use and some sexual content, but thankfully Ms. Norris kept the sexual graphics down to a minimum and made it more of a need to know basis which I appreciated. The drug use didn’t bother me too badly but for some it might really be offensive. Mainly it didn’t bother me because I can’t say that if I had been raped I wouldn’t turn to pot to help me cope either, even if it’s just for a few minutes. As for the language it came as a shock but it made the story more realistic and for that I don’t mind it being in there. She kept it PG-13 and kept everything to a as necessary basis.

Hope’s story hit home for me, because her story could plausibly mine or my sister’s, neighbor’s, a friend’s, or if I had one, daughter’s. Everything Hope did was plausible, except maybe trusting a man after a couple meetings, and something I could see any girl doing to cope and survive. Knowing this story is a compilation of many girls’ stories makes it that much more real to me. I wouldn’t wish this upon my worst enemy and can’t stand by this happens. This book made want to get involved in bringing these girls back home.

This author made a book that will forever stay with me as will the topic. It also made me wonder what happens after they’re found. They aren’t carefree normal kids anymore. I hope there is somewhere physical where they can go to find freedom from their past and learn of Jesus’s love for them. This book wasn’t easy to read and it didn’t end on the best note but it was too realistic to ignore. I wish it would’ve been longer to get more details from the book but other than that I think this book completed its goal.

Overall, this isn’t an easy read and it’s not one you’ll really enjoy but it’s one that needs to be read. This book is perfect for people who want to read about a difficult topic in fiction form. Tis book is for Tweens and teens but adults can read it as well and for younger readers I highly recommend some parental guidance. I give this book a five out of five.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.*

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2 thoughts on “Rescuing Hope”

Thank you so much for sharing your platform with Hope and highlighting the issue of human sex trafficking. I know it isn’t an easy read, but, as you pointed out, it is necessary.
If you or your readers have any questions about Hope or the issue of sex trafficking in America, please email me at susan@susannorris.org. You can learn more at my website, http://www.susannorris.org. You can also follow me on Twitter: @SusanCNorris, or Facebook, Susan Norris Author, where I constantly post new information on the issue.
With regard to your question about treatment facilities, there are currently less than 100 beds in the US for minors who are survivors. Many end up being put in a juvenile detention center for their safety, but obviously, this isn’t the best option for the girls. There need to be more homes opened for minors. There are a few more homes available for girls/women who are 18+ across the country. Wellspring Living is one fabulous program that operates in Georgia. They are a faith based organization and work to help these young ladies put the pieces of their lives back together.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have other questions.
Blessings,
Susan